Tight Lining, Euro Nymphing, High Sticking, and many more titles. All with their own unique spin on fishing sub-surface. It is a tactic that is highly productive. When honed in, I believe it is the most versatile and effective method to fish.
Why is it so successful?
Did you know that 90% of a trout diet is subsurface? We all long for the days of throwing dry flies and bombing 30 plus feet casts to connect with a fish sipping bugs from the surface. However, the truth is, your odds and bite window to do that are quite small. Moreover, if presented correctly, you can still have a dry fly, or dry dropper, on a Euro Nymphing rod and leader. The key to success is getting your flies down to the fish and meeting them at eye level. Some days that is tight to the bottom, others it is mid column, and occasionally on top or in the film just below the surface. There are many ways to get those flies down, it can be with varied bead heads, a tuck cast, lengthening your drift to give them time to fall, or a split shot. At the end of the day trout are lazy. They want to eat the most amount of food while exerting the least amount of energy. Therefore, Tight Lining can be one of the best ways to connect with a fish.
Book a trip to give it a shot or improve your technique!
Tight Lining MD offers a Tight Lining School, as well as a Half and Full Day Tight Lining Wade Trip. We will cover what flies to use, how many, what size, how to get a dead drift, reading water, and much more. Come check out why this method can net you more fish on a consistent basis and make your time on the water more enjoyable! Head over to our services tab and set up a trip today!